Lifter and strainer.



Patented Jan. 30, I900.-

. WI. 8. SARLES.

LIFTER AND STRAINEB.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WWW-Z3818): b/LM' CL M iris Sra'rn MORTIMER STUART SARLES, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

LIFTER AND STRAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,262, dated January 30, 1900.

(No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTIMER STUART SARLES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, New York, have in vented Improvements in Lifters and Strainers, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to lifters and strainers to be used in vats, bottles, jars, &c., in which articles immersed in fluids are kept; and my object is to provide cleanly means for getting such articles from the vessel containing them Without dipping the hands or any external device into the fluid.

The lifter is particularly useful in grocery stores or the household for pickle-vats and the like; but I do not limit myself to such use, as my invention is adapted for many purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the lifter, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a vat and a lifter in place therein.

The device consists, essentially, of a central disk 1, having radial fingers 2 projecting from its periphery, and an upwardly-extending handle 3, having a knob or other convenient handpiece a. The disk 1 is preferably of wood and the fingers 2 of ratan, cane, barnboo, or the like, so as to be slightly flexible. Fig. 2 shows these flexible fingers bent upward, so that when the lifter is placed in the bottom of a vat having flaring sides, as shown, the weight of the fluid and articles contained in the vat will press the fingers outward as the lifter is raised and prevent the articles from falling over the outer edge of the lifter. A weaving 5 may be used to strengthen and hold the fingers, and the handle 3 is preferably removable for packing. The lower end of the handle may be wedged into a hole in the upper side of the disk when the lifter is to be used.

These lifters and strainers are made in various sizes and when in use practically fit the bottom of the vessel and form part thereof. The handle should always be so fficiently long to extend above the fluid. NVhen the articles are wanted, the handle above the fluid is raised, thus bringing the articles up out of the fluid drained, the fingers spreading under the weight of the articles lifted and filling any plane of the vat as it is lifted. What is wanted is then taken without touching the others or the fluid and the lifter then allowed to settle back to the bottom of the vessel.

For most uses it is preferable to construct the lifter of wood or like material, so that brine or other fluids willnot aifect nor be affected by it; but it may be made of any material where practicable. While I have shown a vat and a lifter to fit it, it is evident that small lifters may be made for olive-bottles, &c., and for use on the table.

I claim as my inventi0n- The combination of a vat having flaring sides, with a lifter consisting of a disk having upwardly-bent flexible radial fingers projecting from its periphery, and adapted to spread under weight and fill any plane of the vat as it is lifted, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORTIMER STUART SARLES.

XVitnesses:

C. A. PEARD, EDITH J. Gaiswonn. 

